Purpose: The purpose of the study is to examine how psychological factors affect shareholders and investors, and see which gender differences there are in their investment decisions. Method: The survey was based on a quantitative method with elements of qualitative aspects in form of a questionnaire. The questionnaire were answered by investors and shareholders at various websites for stock investor. The survey consisted of a total of 13 questions with both open and closed answers. Theory: The survey focused on four elements within behavioral finance. These factors are overconfidence, herd behavior, anchoring and familiarity bias. The efficient market hypothesis suggests full rationality which is the opposite of what behavioral finance advocates. Conclusion: Psychological factors affect investors and shareholders in their investment decisions. More men than women considered themselves to be better than average which indicates that they have a stronger overconfidence. In terms of herd behavior the respondents did not show that they follow the group when they have their own information, however, the opposite appeared when they had imperfect information. Women were affected by herd behavior more than men were. Women were affected more than men regarding familiarity bias. Anchoring also proved that the factor had an influence on the respondents but it was not a major difference between men and women.

Thesis (MComm (Statistics and Actuarial Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / In recent times many theories have surfaced posing challenging threats to the Efficient Market Hypothesis. We are entering an exciting era of financial economics fueled by the urge to have a better understanding of the intricate workings of financial markets. Many studies are emerging that investigate the relationship between stock market predictability and efficiency. This paper studies the existence of calendar-based patterns in equity returns, price momentum and earnings momentum in the South African securities market. These phenomena are commonly referred to in the literature as security market imperfections, financial market puzzles and market anomalies. We provide evidence that suggests that they do exist in the South African context, which is consistent with findings in various international markets. A vast number of papers on the subject exist in the international arena. However, very few empirical studies on the South African market can be found in the public domain. We aim to contribute to the literature by investigating the South African case.

This thesis investigates systematic liquidity risk and short-term stock price reaction to large one-day price changes. We study 642 constituents of the FTSALL share index over the period from 1st July 1992 to 29th June 2007. We show that the US evidence of a priced systematic liquidity risk of Pastor and Stambaugh (2003) and Liu (2006) is not country-specific. Particularly, systematic liquidity risk is priced in the London Stock Exchange when Amihud's (2002) illiquidity ratio is used as a liquidity proxy. Given the importance of systematic liquidity risk in the asset pricing literature, we are interested in testing whether the different levels of systematic liquidity risk across stocks can explain the anomaly following large one-day price changes. Specifically, we expect that the stocks with high sensitivity to the fluctuations in aggregate market liquidity to be more affected by price shocks. We find that most liquid stocks react efficiently to price shocks, while the reactions of the least liquid stocks support the uncertain information hypothesis. However, we show that time-varying risk is more important than systematic liquidity risk in explaining the price reaction of stocks in different liquidity portfolios. Indeed, the time varying risk explains nearly all of the documented overreaction and underreaction following large one-day price changes. Our evidence suggests that the observed anomalies following large one-day price shocks are caused by the pricing errors arising from the use of static asset pricing models. In particular, the conditional asset pricing model of Harris et al. (2007), which allow both risk and return to vary systematically over time, explain most of the observed anomalies. This evidence supports the Brown et al. (1988) findings that both risk and return increase in a systematic fashion following price shocks.

動能效果是各國股票市場中最常見的異常現象，Sharpe (1964)提出資本資產定價模型(CAPM)，認為股票報酬與系統風險之間呈現正相關，而和其他非系統性風險無關，因此投資人透過投資所能獲得的超額報酬皆因承擔系統風險而得到的補償。然而近來許多實證研究的結果皆發現了一些非系統性風險能夠解釋股票報酬的異常現象，例如規模效應、本益比效應等等。若股票市場是具有效率的，那麼市場上所有已公開資訊皆應已充分反應在股價上，因此透過各種投資策略皆應無法獲得超額報酬，然而Jegadeesh and Titman (1993)卻發現利用買進過去報酬相對較佳之股票和賣出過去報酬表現相對較差之股票可獲得顯著的超額報酬，即所謂的動能投資策略，這種策略的獲利性很顯然的違背了效率市場假說，因此許多學者相繼提出理論來解釋造成此種現象之原因，其中有某些行為財務理論將此現象歸因於投資人對市場上之新訊息反應不足所致。 本文研究係以Grinblatt and Han (2005)的實證方法，透過建立資本利得與損失的代理變數來衡量由於處分效果造成股價反應不足之程度，並利用Fama-Macbeth橫斷面分析法來探討台灣股市的動能效果是否是因市場上存在處分效果，導致股價反應不足所引起。實證結果發現台灣股市在中長期(過去27到52週)存在顯著的動能效果，然而利用資本利得與損失的代理變數並無法成功的將該動能效果消除，顯示處分效果無法有效的解釋台灣股市中動能效果的來源。

Syfte: Undersöka om det är möjligt att generera en överavkastning på aktier gentemot marknadsindex på OMXS Industrials enligt Net Current Asset Value strategin. Metod: Studien baseras på en kvantitativ metod för att undersöka historiska aktievärden. Datan som används i undersökningen hämtas från Thomson Reuters Datastream och de statistiska värdena bearbetas i Microsoft Office Excel Teoretiska utgångspunkter: Studien har sin förklaring med utgångspunkt från teorierna om den effektiva marknadshypotesen och CAPM modellen, samt ett avsnitt som utreder principerna om hur värderingsstrategier bör följas. Resultat: Beroende på längden av innehavsperioden visar studien att det i de samtliga fall är fullt möjligt att överträffa marknadsindex, och att den riskjusterade avkastningen i de flesta fall är högre än marknadsindex. / Objective: To examine whether it is possible to generate an excess return on stocks in relation to the market index of OMXS Industrials according to the strategy of Net Current Asset Value Method: The study is based on a quantitative method to investigate historical stock values. The data used in the study is retrieved from Thomson Reuters Datastream and the statistical values are processed in Microsoft Office Excel. Theoretical usage: The study is explained on the basis of the theory of the efficient market hypothesis and the CAPM model, and even a section that investigates principles of valuation strategies and how they should be followed. Results: Depending on the length of the holding period, the study shows that in all cases it is quite possible to outperform market indices, and risk-adjusted returns in most cases are higher than the market index.

I decennier har problematiken kring förvaltning belysts och i mångt och mycket har motpolerna aktiv- och passiv förvaltning jämförts. Tidigare forskning har påvisat att passiv förvaltning är att föredra framför aktiv förvaltning, bland annat på grund av de dyra förvaltningsavgifterna samt att förespråkarna antar en effektiv marknad. Ämnesområdet är ett väl utforskat område dock i högsta grad aktuellt. Tidigare forskning har inte belyst aktivitetsgraden i aktivt förvaltade fonder och därmed gavs implikation till fortsatt analysområde för den här studien. Syftet med uppsatsen är att analysera om aktivitetsgraden i aktivt förvaltade fonder kan förklara den riskjusterade avkastningen med hänsyn tagen till förvaltningsavgiften. En deduktiv ansats kommer tillämpas för utveckling av existerande teori. Utifrån uppsatsens syfte har en kvantitativ metod tillämpats för att analysera information som tilldelats av fondbolagens fondrapporter för att genomföra tester på olika tidsperioder. Uppsatsens resultat grundas på 81 aktivt förvaltade fonder vilka indikerar att det ej går att påvisa att en högre aktivitetsgrad leder till en högre riskjusterad avkastning. Likaså kan inte en högre förvaltningsavgift motiveras av aktivitetsgraden. Utfallet av analyserna beskrivs genom tabeller för att visualisera de statistiska analyserna. Förslag till fortsatt forskning inkluderar undersökning av vad fondbolagen definierar som krav för att klassificeras som aktivt förvaltade fonder. Utifrån att aktivitetsgraden är en ny infallsvinkel i utvärdering av aktiv förvaltning torde studiens resultat vara av intresse för gemene man då vi alla är investerare mer eller mindre i det privata livet. Investerare antas vara intresserade att veta vad som motiverar den höga förvaltningsavgiften samt hur investerade pengar blir förvaltade då konklusionen av studien är att aktivitetsgraden inte ger mervärde. / For decades, the problem of portfolio management has been discussed, specifically the comparisons between the opposite poles ‘active’ and ‘passive’ management. Previous research has shown that passive management is preferred over active management, predominantly because of the expensive management fees, as well as proponents assuming an efficient market. The subject area is a well- explored area yet, highly relevant. Previous research has not highlighted the trading frequency in actively managed funds and an implication for further analysis within this area was given. The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether the frequency of trade in actively managed funds may explain the risk-adjusted return, taking into account the management fees. A deductive approach will be applied to the development of existing theory. Based on the thesis purpose, a quantitative method was applied. As well as analyzing the information assigned by the mutual fund companies’ fund reports for conducting tests at different time periods. Results of the thesis are based on 81 actively managed funds, indicating that it is not possible to reveal that, a higher frequency of trade will lead to a higher risk-adjusted return. Likewise, a higher management fee is not justified by the level of activity. The outcomes of the analysis are depicted through tables to provide a visualization of the statistical and analytical questions explored. Suggestions for future research include; consideration of what the fund companies define as requirements that will be classified as actively managed funds. Based on the above notions the frequency of trade is a new approach to the evaluation of active management. Investors are presumed to have a known interest in what stimulates high management fees and how the money invested will be managed. With respect to the conclusion of this study; the level of the frequency in trade does not add any value.

Syftet med studien är undersöka hur förvärvsmetoden påverkar de uppköpande företagens abnormala avkastning på kort sikt, samt utröna huruvida företagens branschtillhörighet har en betydelse för reaktionen. I studien tillämpas tre teorier och flertalet tidigare forskningar som är av relevans för studien. De teorier som nyttjas är olika former av förvärv, effektiva marknadshypotesen och signalteorin. Denna studie utförs av en kvantitativ och komparativ ansats med hjälp av en eventstudie där 64 företagsförvärv observerats. Förvärven är uppdelade på 4 olika branscher och fördelade inom tillvägagångssätten aktie- och inkråmsförvärv. Dessa förvärv har undersökts under en elvadagarsperiod, fem dagar innan till och med fem dagar efter offentliggörandet. Den insamlade sekundärdata som bearbetats har erhållits från Nasdaq OMX, Google Finance och databasen Zephyr. Resultaten enligt denna studie förmedlar om att ett inkråmsförvärv är att föredra i jämförelse med aktieförvärv, detta med undantag för företag i sällanköpsvarubranschen som gynnas av ett aktieförvärv. Det går även att urskilja hur hälsovårdsbranschen är den bransch som gynnas mest vid offentliggörande av företagsförvärv, sett till den abnormala avkastningen. / The purpose of the study is to examine how the acquisition method affects the purchasing companies’ abnormal returns in the short term, and to ascertain whether the companies’ industry affiliation has an impact on the reaction. The study applied three theories and a number of previous researches that are of significance to the study. Theories used are different forms of acquisitions, the efficient market hypothesis and the signal theory. This study was made by a quantitative and comparative approach using an event study where 64 acquisitions were observed. The acquisitions were divided into four different industries and distributed in the approaches of share- and asset acquisitions. These acquisitions have been observed during an eleven-day period, five days before to five days after publication. The collected secondary processed data has been collected from Nasdaq OMX, Google Finance and the database Zephyr. The results according to this study conveys that an acquisition of asset is preferable in comparison with the acquisition of shares, except for companies in the consumer discretionary sector as seen benefits from an acquisition of shares. It is possible to discern how the healthcare sector is the one that benefits most in the publication of an acquisition, in terms of the abnormal returns.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to analyze whether initial public offerings had an impact on rival firms. Theory: The efficient market hypothesis model, Information asymmetry and the signal theory. Method: A quantitative approach in the methodology has been undertaken where an event study was constructed in order to measure cumulative average abnormal return. The empirical data used in the study consists of 243 rival firms that had an initial public offering occurring in their industry. Two hypotheses have been tested using the simple t-test. Results: A compilation of the abnormal return of rival firms was made which showed no clear patterns of an impact taking place. When testing the two hypotheses both were rejected which showed that no significant impact took place. Analysis: According to previous research and theories an impact on the rival firms should have shown but the different sample might be the reason of our results being different. Conclusion: Due to the two hypotheses being rejected the event study finds no significant evidence of an abnormal return occurring in connection to the initial public offering of a rival firm. / Syfte: Studiens syfte var att kartlägga om börsintroduktioner hade någon påverkan på konkurrerande företag. Teori: Den effektiva marknadshypotesen, Signalteori och asymmetrisk information. Metod: Studien använde en kvantitativ typ som övergripande forskningsdesign. En deduktiv ansats användes där teorier låg som grund till skapandet av hypoteser. Tillvägagångssättet var med en eventstudie som lämpar sig bra för stora mängder data. Studien använde aktiekurser från 243 konkurrerande företag. Resultat: En sammanställning gjordes av konkurrerande företags abnormala avkastning vilket inte visade något tydligt mönster för att påverkan finns. Vid test av hypoteser förkastades både hypoteserna vilket gav resultatet att ingen påverkan fanns. Analys: Enligt tidigare forskning och teorier borde en påverkan kunna utläsas. Skillnaden på urval kan vara en anledning att tidigare studier fått andra resultat. Slutsats: Den kumulativa genomsnittliga abnormala avkastningen gjorde rörelser vid de olika mätdagarna något mönster går inte att urskilja och den insamlade data som användes visade inget signifikant resultat vid hypotestest.

The efficient market hypothesis has been around since 1962, the theory based on a simple rule that states the price of any asset must fully reflect all available information. Yet there is empirical evidence suggesting that markets are too volatile to be efficient. In essence, this evidence seems to suggest that the reaction of the market participants to the information or events that is the crucial factor, rather than the actual information. This highlights the need to include the behavioural finance theory in the pricing of assets. Essentially, the research aims to analyse the efficiency of six key sovereign debt markets during a period of changing volatility including the recent global financial and sovereign debt crises. We analyse the markets in the pre-crisis period and during the financial and sovereign debt crises to determine the impact of the crises on the efficiency of these financial markets. We use two GARCH-based variance bound tests to test the null hypothesis of the market being too volatile to be efficient. Proposing a GJR-GARCH variant of the variance bound test to account for variation in the asymmetrical effect. This leads to an analysis of the changing behaviour of price volatility to identify what makes the market efficient or inefficient. In general, our EMH tests resulted in mixed results, hinting at the acceptance of the null hypothesis of the market being too volatile to be efficient. However, interestingly a number of 2017 observations under both models seem to be hinting at the rejection of the null hypothesis. Furthermore, our proposed GJR-GARCH variant of the variance bound test seems to be more likely to accept the EMH than the GARCH variant of the test.

The aim of this study is to gather insights into market efficiency and mechanisms that work in the financial markets. It provides a framework with an emphasis on liquidity and the failure of arbitrage that deepens our understanding of various financial crises. Described mechanisms are particularly relevant for the last financial crises - including 2007-2009, LTCM, and dot-com bubble. In the first chapter the concept of efficient markets is introduced. In the second chapter it is challenged from the point of view of noise trader theory and limits of arbitrage. The third chapter deals with market microstructure and liquidity. Last chapter shows importance and adverse effects of externalities, particularly of those causing liquidity spirals.